


Complexity. Maybe Simplicity.

by Made_Of_Love



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, First Love, Hurt/Comfort, Love Triangle, Monsterphilia, Monsterphobia, Possession, Post-Pacifist Route, Puppy Love, Reader Is Not Frisk, Reader-Insert, Someone gettin' dunked on eventually, There is death, Think others have a slow burn?, This will be a very slow, Unrequited Love, also a testament of love between species, and blood, burn - Freeform, first love feelings, guess which you deal with more often, he just might love you back, hybrid reader, it's honestly a mystery, reader has not been identified as magical, reader is a scientific anomaly, reader is half human half monster, there is comfort, there will be bonding, very painful
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-18
Updated: 2016-03-12
Packaged: 2018-05-14 19:37:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5755702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Made_Of_Love/pseuds/Made_Of_Love
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Heal your heart. Fill in empty spaces. Fall in love. Love who you've become and those you've come to know.</p><p>Death harms us all. For you, it ends your whole world. But then there are those that are there to help you pick up the pieces. People that fill your world with love as they help you rebuild it and help to rebuild you.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Small Gestures Mean A Lot

**Author's Note:**

> Probs gonna be about 13 chaps. No promises. Gonna aim for twenty, yeah? Probably gonna have a sequel too. All depends. Don't expect overly frequent updates though. I'm in school, and that comes first.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Know loss. Know Comfort. Know loneliness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for your loss.

Love is an extraordinarily complex emotion. One you never fully understood. It was beautiful. And it was painful. It brought out the best and the worst in people. And while it gave you immeasurable happiness in life, it also caused you a lot of grief through your life. But you guessed if it weren’t for love, you never would have met them.

For someone else, love was easily gained and lost. When Frisk failed to fall prey to his call to power he needed to call upon his fail safe – a hybrid with an extraordinary soul, a mix between monster and human. An extraordinary, powerful soul made vulnerable through grief and open to solace. They would have access to magic so powerful it could be overwhelming if not treated properly. And he would be there to tap into it, rooting himself into them, taking the power and the world he believed to be rightfully his.

~

You were what your mother called extraordinary.  There were no other words for you. Or so she would say. Of course there were children who would pick on you. They found names for you – none of which were kind. The daughter of a monster and a human was unheard of. And you were the only one. One of the few humans who had wandered down into the Underground and ran into your mother – known as a whore to more prude mothers and a girl to stay away from to most men – and apparently had a child with her (not that he knew about it). He’d been a young soul, in his teenage years like your mother, and found your mother attractive despite her being a monster. You didn’t find this strange at all. You thought your mom was beautiful. Who wouldn’t want to be with her?

She was a type of fish monster with a body covered in scales that ranged between greens, blues, purples and the occasional yellow. She had fins on her arms and legs and slit eyes that were a bright- almost glowing – amber color. She had long tentacle like appendages that were like hair trailing down the backs of her thighs. Her teeth were sharp and her body curvy. She was beautiful. And you loved her unconditionally. You were strange in that only about fifty percent of you had scales – the backs of your arms and legs and your back – there were a few dotting your butt too but not many to be too notable. You had fins on your arms and legs like your mother. You didn’t have tentacles on your head, just hair. But it was long like your mother’s. It was thick and curly like your father’s. It twisted in loose, __h/c__ ringlets and curls. Your mom loved it though you wish she’d let you cut it. You also had heterochromia. Well, sort of. One eye was like your father’s and (e/c) in color. The other was slit and also (e/c). You had sharp canines, but none of your other teeth were notably sharp. And as far as the webbed fingers and toes your mom had; you only had webbing between your human-like feet. And you were short (roughly five feet tall). You could not breathe under water as she could but rather you had a more amphibious nature, being able to hold your breath for a long time (your record being twenty minutes) and needing to keep your scales moisturized but ultimately living on land. Your other difference was in the color of your soul. It was true that every soul differed in color from person to person. Your soul however was a mix of two marbled colors a light indigo color mixed with a darker lavender color. It was larger than most souls too. Despite this, you could not channel your magic as others could. You and your mother chalked it up to being half human.

Despite being odd, your mom loved you unconditionally. You loved her too. Your mother was your world. You admired her determination and work ethic too. She was a single teenage mother turned out by her parents. And yet she’d managed to take care of you and get a degree in teaching just the same.

She worked as a teacher in the Underground and also on the surface when the barrier was broken. For two years afterwards you were both content with life. It was during the summer before you would go back to college for your junior year that things started changing. Your mother got sick. She took a few days off from work, but bounced back in three days. You got out of school much earlier than her elementary school classes (by about a month) and went to help her out as an assistant. That’s where you met a student that quickly became attached to you. Their name was Frisk. Frisk looked up to you like a big sister, and why you weren’t sure why this was so, you didn’t mind it.

It was during a recess when you were helping out your mother that things changed more noticeably. You sat on the swings while you watched the other kids running about and playing some sort of game. Frisk sat on the swing next to you. Frisk wasn’t much for playing. Your mother told you that they were rather reserved when it came to many of the other children. Frisk hadn’t made any friends besides your mother and you. You looked over at Frisk.

“You’re not one for the kind of games they play, huh?” Frisk just smiled at you and shook their head.

“I didn’t play much with other kids either when I was young.” Frisk touched your arm, running the finger from your scales to your skin thoughtfully. “Yeah. I wasn’t like everyone else. I looked too human until you got right down to it. But I was never really social to begin with. I don’t really have friends.” Frisk looked at you expectantly. You rubbed her head affectionately. “Besides you of course.” She smiles at you. Out of the corner of your eye you notice your mother who stood off to the side beneath the shade of a tree stagger. You fully look at her with concern turned fear as you watch her pass out.

~One Year Later~

Frisk grabbed your hand and squeezed it tightly. You didn’t look down at them. You stared blankly at the large bundle of flowers situated to rest on the urn. There it was. Your entire world. The only person who loved everything about you and made you feel normal and loved was nothing but ash contained in a ceramic urn decorated in violets and camellia flowers. She was your best friend, and now she was gone. Silent bubbles of tears dripped down your cheeks and fell to the ground. You tightened your grip on Frisk’s hand, and you felt her other small hand come up to pat it. It had been a random chance encounter that they'd been passing by on their bike and saw the small funeral which consisted of you, the principal from the school your mother worked at, and a few other teachers you were barely acquainted with. They immediately joined you to act as a comfort. When they didn’t see your mother around, they realized whose ashes were going to be scattered, and a little bit of their heart broke along with yours. You picked up the urn after the service. You’d had the service in one of her favorite parks to visit. You figured she would appreciate visiting it one last time before you placed her ashes in her final resting place in her flower garden.

Frisk walked back with you to your home. It was a silent walk except for the low sound of Frisk’s bike tires on the cement of the sidewalk. You finally approached your house. It was surrounded by a tall (even taller than you) white fence that sectioned your house off from the rest of the neighborhood. It sat at the end of a cul-de-sac. Your mom picked it because she loved gardening and the yard was fertile. Just as well, she liked the way ivy and flowers wound and crept up the fence in a way that almost looked like an intentional design – something about it looking like an entry to another world. You unlocked the fence and walked up the cobblestone walkway to your simple two story house. You open the door, and Frisk leaves their bike resting against the fence. You turn to her once you reach the door.

“Thank you for coming to the funeral. I….” Tears formed in your eyes again. “I’m sorry. I think I need to be alone. I’ll talk to you some other time, Frisk.” You quickly turned and entered your home which now seemed a lot bigger now that it was just you. It was dark and empty. Even with you in it. You were leaning against your door staring deeply into the emptiness of the living room and felt it slowly crush you. You set your mother’s urn next to you on the carpeted floor. Your breaths began to come in short pants. The anxiety of the situation made it hard for you to breathe. You might have been standing there for five minutes before you couldn’t take it anymore. You threw yourself back outside, breathing heavily. You’d have to go inside eventually, but… You needed a drink to take the edge off. Grillby’s wasn’t that far from your house. It was a monster-run bar that usually only monsters went to and the occasional monster fanatic. You didn’t really go there except once with your mom for lunch. You knew the laws of humans in this country didn’t permit you to drink quite yet (as your 21st birthday was still a few months away), but monsters could drink at eighteen in the Underground. Maybe they’d let this slide.

It was chilly outside. It was warm enough to not really need a jacket earlier but the sun had since began to dip onto the horizon. The sky was red and orange now. You pulled your jacket tighter around you. You trudged to the bar with what felt like the weight of the world on you. You knew it wasn’t as bad as you made it out to be, but if felt like it. As you passed by humans and monsters, you felt odd. Around you, life was moving on completely unaware of your loss.

You rounded the corner onto the boulevard. The street wasn’t officially named the boulevard. It was just a common name passed around. It had many shops and a few gas stations and restaurants lining it. Grillby’s was about a block away. As you approached, a rabbit like monster with orange tinted fur stumbled out of the bar mumbling something about hot guys. You ignored them and continued. You entered and felt eyes on you. You didn’t look like a monster at first glance, so you weren’t really surprised by this. You took your jacket off, draping it over your arm, revealing your sleeveless black dress. Your opalescent scales glowed in the dim orange light and you felt those watching you tear their eyes away – some of them at least. The bartender looked at you silently. You just sat at one of the bar stools before leaning on your arms, gaze downcast. Grillby looks at you, walking over to your slouched figure.

“Anything strong,” you mumble, a few tears slipping down your face. He places a shot glass of something you literally care too little about to identify and leaves the bottle. “Thank you,” you mutter. He didn’t ask for your I.D. You run a fingertip round the rim of the shot glass. You tentatively take the glass in your hands, holding it delicately as if it would shatter from the lightest of touches.

“Rough night?” he asks in a low, smooth voice.

“You don’t even fuckin’ know,” you say bitterly before downing your drink and pouring another. “You ever lost everything?” You didn’t know why you were spilling all this out to him, but the only other person you were really close to was Frisk, a soft-spoken assistant to your boss, and a fellow designer you met at a job you had taken up when your mother’s sickness had her bedridden. You’d never let an eleven year old shoulder your burden – she felt enough of a loss from it as it was. You didn’t even want to burden your coworkers. There was something easy to you about confiding in a stranger. He listens silently, waiting for you to continue. Larger tears bubbled up in your eyes. You knew if you fully explained your situation you’d just end up loudly crying and blubbering all over the place, but the words tumbled out anyway.

“I lost someone, and I can never get them back. Now I’m alone. Maybe if I had done more, she’d still be here. I just thought if I loved her enough… maybe she’d find enough will to live. I thought she would be more determined.” You tossed back another drink. “I’ll never forgive myself.” This time you were more talking to yourself than him. Despite the fact that there was nothing you could have done, you felt like it was all your fault she was gone. Maybe if you had told her to go to the doctor the first time she got sick. Instead she said a little rest was all she needed. You felt she needed more but you didn’t say anything. She was gone because of you.

“Can’t move on if you don’t forgive yourself,” he mentioned while wiping down the countertop. You looked up at him before taking another drink.

“Life isn’t that simple.”

“True. But you can’t expect to get through complex situations by doing nothing to fix them.” You knew he was right, but you weren’t in the mood to admit you were wrong. So you paid for your drinks and left, politely muttering a, “Thanks,” not making it clear if it were for the drinks or advice.

When you got home, you picked up the urn you left sitting by the door and walked out into the garden where your mother’s favorite flower bush grew. It was a white camellia bush with ghostly white blooms that were intimidating in some way to you now. She loved camellias and how they bloomed in moonlight. You sprinkled the ashes at the base of the plant as the sun set. The bush bloomed when you finished, and it felt as if what they said about spreading a monster’s ashes was true. It felt like part of your mother was alive in the bush. You looked at it with tear-filled eyes, clenching the ash and dirt that lay beneath your fingers as you spread her remains beneath the soil, leaves, and fallen petals.

“I miss you,” you said as you cried and cried and cried to your mother as if she would return through your sheer willpower alone.

~

Deep in the Underground a tiny breeze blew over a small patch of golden flowers. The ashes resting there were disturbed – awakening. Your soul beckoned to them like a siren’s call – an answer to a prayer. A way out.

~

_Your body felt hot. Too hot. This wasn’t normal. If anything, your body temperature usually ran a little under a human’s body temperature. You choked on your every breath. You coughed and wheezed and cried out for someone – anyone – to help you. A low chuckle ran through the air. Red. All you could see was red. A darker red splattered before you, and you realized you were coughing up blood. You choked on that too as you heaved it in thick chunks. You gasped when you finally had an open air way. Then you were suffocated again as thick smoke poured into you and burned you up from the inside out. Pain. Too much. You were dying. You screamed for help. But no one came. You could hear the thudding of your heart in your ears as it slowly devolved into a different sound. Thump, thump, thump. Thump, thump, knock._

_Knock, knock, knock._ You jolted awake with sweat running down your face in rivers. You looked around your room. Nothing was out of place. No one was there. You were alive and, for the most part, well. The rapping at your front door alerted you that there was indeed another presence, but a less threatening one who was polite enough to knock. Who could that have been? You trudged out of your room and downstairs to your front door where the knocking continued. You shivered a bit. The house was freezing. It was even colder since you were still beaded with sweat. You looked through the peephole to see who was on the other side. There wasn’t anyone. You opened the door. You were then hugged around the knees. You looked down to see Frisk. They looked up at you and gave you a happy smile, but you could see that it was strained.

“Did you want to come in?” Frisk nodded. You’d been MIA for the past few days. Your boss let you have them off considering your recent loss. You weren’t up to much. You barely got out of bed. Your hair that you put into a braid days ago was quite disheveled, and you needed a shower. You hadn’t been eating much and slept most days. You were a bit embarrassed that Frisk saw you in this state, but it wasn’t like you had the will to take much care of yourself lately. And now you were experiencing nightmares? Frisk pranced inside to your living room and plopped on the beige couch, bouncing in place a little bit as they did so. They smiled at you expectantly.

“Did you want to watch a movie or something?” you asked, unsure of what it was they were doing here in the first place. Frisk nodded. “Right,” you said, not having the heart to turn them down. “I’m going to go shower up. Pick out movie and we can watch it together.” Frisk patted their stomach. You gave a light smile. “We can eat too.”

You walked into the bathroom and gazed in the mirror at yourself. You looked different. You didn’t know why, but something was off. Or maybe you were just seeing things. You splashed cool water in your face and brushed your teeth before hopping in the shower. The hot water splashed onto your scales and you let out a sigh. It was a sharp contrast to the checkered tiles that felt cool – nearly cold – against your side where you leaned. Water soaked your hair and dripped into your face. You closed your eyes, waiting for your body to relax and remembering a moment of wonder.

_You stood in the rain and gazed up at the sky. A deep rumble of thunder sounded off in the distance. Your mother stood in the doorway of the back door which lead into her gardens (one for fruits and veggies, the other full of fragrant flowers). You kept your human eye closed. It was far too sensitive to foreign objects, but you had a clear, third lid closed over your monster eye. You just stood there, soaked to the bone, watching the rain fall. There wasn’t weather in the Underground, and while you had loved the feel of sunshine warming your scales or the beauty of snow that fluttered to the ground, you loved the rain most of all. It felt cleansing to you._

_“If you stand out there for too long, you might get sick,” your mother warned. You lowered your gaze to the garden before you, wiping the water from your other eye before blinking it open. You retreated inside. She only let you behave this way because it was interesting to see you act like a child. You were eighteen and acting like a child experiencing it for the first time. It wasn’t the first time you had seen rain, but you were fascinated nearly every time. It was soothing – when the thunder and lightning weren’t overbearing. It made feeling water running over you a muscle relaxant for you. Showers made you think about rain and all the relief you felt with them._

You opened your eyes, drops of water dripped from your forehead, chin, and eyelashes as you stared down at your feet. Your chest tightened. It wasn’t working. You didn’t know why but your mother’s warning kept ringing in your ear. A knock on the door snapped you out of your stupor to realize, you’d been in there long enough for the water to turn cold.

“I’ll be out in a minute,” you called to Frisk. You turned off the water in time to hear Frisk’s footsteps scampering away – probably back to the living room. You didn’t bother with your hair and just yanked it into a messy ponytail by tying a ribbon around it haphazardly. You dried off as best you could with your constantly dripping hair and threw on an old T-shirt and some sweatpants.

When you stepped into the living room, Frisk wasn’t there. You walked into the kitchen and saw them sitting in the kitchen with one of your mom’s cookbooks spread out in front of them. They were staring at a chocolate chip pancake recipe – your mom’s favorite.

“Is that what you want?” you asked as you peered over their shoulder. Frisk looked up at you and nodded. It was a simple enough recipe and wouldn’t take too long to make. You got out the necessary ingredients. You weren’t talking much. That worried Frisk. You were never especially talkative before, but silences usually made you antsy. You were never really comfortable with it. Frisk imagined it must have been awful that it was quiet all the time in your house now. It was one of the reasons they came over. Even though they knew this was a different kind of quiet entirely. It wasn’t the quiet of having nothing to say. It was a deafening, lonely quiet that hung in the room. You were going through the motions. Frisk wondered if you were even registering their presence half of the time.

“You can pour the batter,” you said as you handed them the bowl of pancake batter. You watched as they scooped up a spoonful and poured it into the shape of a heart before looking at you with a sad smile. You were surprised. Tears sprung to your eyes once more. As of late, it seemed all you did was cry. You stooped down so Frisk was at eye level before pulling them into a hug. You took in a shaky breath and exhaled. You blinked the tears away to clear your vision, feeling a few of them run down your face. Frisk hugged back tightly. You chuckled somewhat bitterly.

“You’re too pure for this world, Frisk.”

It became a regular thing that Frisk would drop by every now and then for breakfast and a movie. You’d tell her when you had a day off, and if they didn’t have school, they would stop by. Of course, someone noticed eventually that she was running off to see someone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At least someone is there to help you pick up the pieces.


	2. Why Is the House So Big?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Greet a new pal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter. Hope ya like it!

Frisk had just left. It was nice to have the company. You walked out into the garden. You’d been neglecting it. At least it had rained recently, so you weren’t really all that worried about the plants dying. Hard as it was to face what your mother poured a portion of her life into, you knew you’d feel worse if you let it die with her. You were walking to the toolshed when you tripped off of the patio, letting out a yelp.

“*you okay?” You scrambled to get up, whipping your head around to see who had spoken. Perhaps if you answered, they would speak and you could figure out where they were.

“Um, yes, I-I, um, fell was all….”

“*did you have a nice _trip_?” You were just a bit too dazed to laugh at the joke. You looked in the direction of the voice. It was coming from the other side of the fence. You walked over to it. There was a small knothole about half the size of your fist in the fence a little ways towards the ground. You stooped to peak through it but didn’t see anything. Perhaps they were standing just off to where you couldn’t see. Or maybe they left.

“A-are you still there?” you asked tentatively.

“*yeah.”

“Um, why?” you supposed you sounded kind of rude, but it was strange that someone you didn’t know was cracking jokes through your fence.

“*i was looking out for someone, but i see they just left.”

“A-are you talking about Frisk?”

“*yup.”

“You’re a friend of theirs?”

“*yeah. their mom was getting worried they always ran off in the morning on weekends, so i said i’d look into it for them. so you’re who they’re coming to see?”

“Um, yes. I don’t know why, but Frisk started visiting me.”

“*just randomly?”

“I don’t think so. They might be visiting because they’re afraid I’ll be lonely.”

 “*that does sound like something they would do. so you don’t live with anyone?”

“No, not anymore.”

“*you used to recently?”

“Yes, with my mother, but she passed away recently. She used to be Frisk’s teacher.”

“*you don’t have any friends besides Frisk?” he asked confusedly.

“I was never really one to make friends. I mean, I have a few. Just two. I don’t go out much either. I guess you could consider it something we sort of had in common,” your worlds trailed off as you began twisting a braid around in your hands. Why were you telling this stranger your business? He was quiet for a bit as he absorbed this information.

“*so how do you know Frisk?”

“When I would get a break between my college semesters, I would help my mom in class as an assistant. The last winter break I had was the first time I met Frisk, and I don’t know why she liked me so much. But she did, and I don’t mind. It’s kind of like having a little sister. I would visit the school occasionally because my mom would say that she asked about me. She was really happy when I had a summer break because that meant for a month I’d see her every day.”

“*you must be something special then, huh?”

 “I’m just me,” you replied, staring at your hand and turning it this way and that to stare at the scales on one side and the skin on the other. “But it is true that Frisk didn’t make really any friends in her class. It was chance that she ended up with all human classmates. I guess knowing she didn’t really have many friends was why I treated her like my little sister.”

“*are you still in school then?”

“No, not anymore. I can’t work out a class schedule that fits my job into it. It would be overwhelming.”

“*what did you major in?”

“Fashion merchandising and business. I mean, I was going to college because I wanted to own my own boutique, and mom encouraged I take some business courses. I’m gonna run my own business pretty much. Go big or go home right?” At least you were educated and seemed nice enough, he thought so anyway.

“*and not having a degree keeps you in this house? i thought college students could only afford apartments.”

“It’s not so bad. I mean, the house was pretty cheap on its own because it needed a lot of maintenance no one was willing to put in. So I helped my mom fix it up. Now it’s got all the value it would have had with the price being a lot lower.” You remembered when your mother first introduced you to the house.

_The paint on the fence was cracked and peeling and faded in other places. The gate was almost strapped shut by overgrown vines, but that wasn’t the worst part. The yard was overrun with weeds, the house needed a new paint job and a power washing. The house was filthy and had dust, dirt, and cobwebs everywhere. And half the rooms were covered in a hideously patterned wall paper._

_“So what do you think?” your mom asked eagerly._

_“Mom,” you said, looking at her incredulously, “It’s a_ dump _.” You emphasized that word._

_“For now. But it has so much potential. Once we clean it up a bit and move our stuff in, you’ll feel right at home.” Only your mother could have picked some place so run down and said it had potential. Potential to be torn down maybe._

_It was funny though. When the house was done with its repairs and remodels, you were willing to bet that it was the most beautiful house on the block._

*so how’re you recovering? from your loss, i mean. does it still hurt?”

 “Sometimes. I don’t know. It’s gotten better. It’s never easy.” Thoughts of your mother ran through your head. “It wasn’t always like this. Do… Do you know what it’s like to lose someone important, and they, like, meant everything to you?” You voice wavered on the last sentence and you swiped at the tears that threatened to spill.

“*yeah. i know how you feel. when exactly did you lose your mother?”

“A few weeks ago.” Shit, there were the tears. He could hear you sniffling through the fence.

“*s-sorry! i didn’t meant to touch a really sensitive topic.” He hadn’t meant to make you cry. He was just trying to get a decent report together for Toriel.

“No, no,” you assured, as you wiped up your tears, “It’s fine. Sorry to burden you though.” He felt kinda bad for you.

“*knock, knock.” You paused. It was so random. One minute you were trying not to bawl over your mom, and now he was telling knock, knock jokes?

“Who’s there?” you asked, your curiosity getting the better of you.

“*dozen.”

“Dozen who?”

“*dozen anybody want to let me in?” You cracked a smile before a little hiccup-y laugh bubbled up through your lips. It felt good, so you laughed a little longer.

“*ha! i didn’t think anyone would find my jokes so funny.”

“It was awful. I mean, it was funny, but it was really bad,” you giggled out. “But I’d be lying if I said it didn’t feel good to laugh a little bit. Do you tell jokes often?”

“*yeah, it’s kinda my thing.”

“Do all your friends count you as the funny one of the group?”

“*nah. just one person. she and i have a long history of joke telling.”

“She sounds nice.”

“*she is. and she’s really motherly. she looks after frisk and anyone else she calls a friend. she’s something else.” You giggled at his response.

“Sounds like you have a thing for her,” you giggled out.

“*someone who laughs at my jokes like that? it would be hard not to, but i don’t. we’re just,” he paused for effect, “ _pun pals._ ” You giggled a little. It was a little bit misplaced as far as puns went, but

“I never learned your name,” you said now that you actually thought about it.

“*sans the skeleton.”

“___f/n___ ___l/n___.” A thought crossed your mind, and you smiled widely. “Do a lot of people guess your punchlines before you say them?”

“*what makes you say that?”

“I don’t know. I figured with you being a skeleton and all, people could see right through you.” You stifled your laugh. For a second there was silence before you heard his own laugh on other side of the fence and you joined him.

“*do you make a lot of jokes?”

“I used to. My mom would tell me a joke whenever I was mad at her, and I wouldn’t be mad anymore. Then we would trade jokes back and forth, and I wouldn’t even be able to remember what it was I was mad about. I miss that.”

“*well I’m full of jokes. if you think you can stomach it, i could always come back and tell you a few more.” You laughed a bit more.

“Sounds nice actually,” you admitted, “I know a good one. It’s a little long, but if you have the time….”

“*go for it,” he urged. He guessed that story-like jokes were some of your favorites by the eager tones in your voice when you offered. Usually he and Toriel would just swap one-liners and knock, knock jokes, so he was curious as to how this would play out.

“There was once a church that had someone ring the bell every Sunday morning to let people know it was time for church. They’d had the same bell ringer for quite some time, but, eventually, he was too old to do it anymore. So they held auditions for a new one. So this one man comes and tells them he rings the bell with his face. It sounds odd, but he crouches in a corner and launches himself at the bell. It’s the clearest sound they’ve ever heard. Clearly, he’s a real _ringer._ Keep in mind that there are four large windows on each of the walls near the bell. He gets the job, but they warn him not to fly past it or he’ll fall to his death. So he does well at his job for a while, but one day he misses. Guess you could say he _missed the mark_ on his job requirements. The priest shows up and sees the police and the crowd gathered around the gory mess. And the police officer asks the priest if he knows him. And do you know what the priest says?”

“*what?” Sans asks, a large grin on his face in anticipation.

“He says, ‘No, but _his face rings a bell_.’” You and Sans quickly burst into laughter. Even though he’d never been one for long jokes, he could appreciate the one you were telling because you found ways to weave little extra puns in there that weren’t there previously.

“*so when can I see your face?” he asked once the laughter died down.

“I didn’t know you were waiting for it.”

“*call me curious.”

“Do you know what killed the cat?” you responded, giggling.

“*i could just teleport in there you know.” You’d heard of monsters with special magical abilities. That must have been his.

“You can teleport to places you haven’t seen before?” There was a pause.

“*no,” he muttered after a while, a bit put off that you called his bluff. “*but i bet i could climb this fence.” You looked up towards the top of the fence. It was easily about eight feet in height, and you knew there were no footholds for him to be able to climb. Even if he did manage to get to the top of the fence, there was an eight foot drop waiting for him on the other side.

“You’re just going to hurt yourself. It’s not worth it.”

“*well satisfaction brought the cat back you know.”

“So you think this is some kind of life-bringing satisfaction,” you laughed, standing and leaning against the fence.

“*maybe,” he said. You could hear him struggling to get up the fence. All you saw was a flash of a skeletal hand before hearing a thud. You cringed.

“*ow,” you heard him groan out before chuckling.

“Still think trying to see me was worth it?” you asked as you heard him slump down to the ground.

“*yes because I’m still going to see you.”

“What makes you say that?”

“*you wouldn’t leave me to sit in the dirt without any sort of help or knowing I might be hurt would you?” Silence. It hung thickly in the air for a moment before Sans heard you sigh.

“I guess not,” you muttered.

“*it was fun, but the curiosity was eating away at me. it wasn’t healthy guess you could say it made me kind of _femur_ -ish _._ ”

“If you feel sick, you should stay away from graveyards. It’s easy to get sick there with all the _coffin_ ,” you shot back before continuing the conversation, “But I’ll come get you.”

“*alright. we can have more fun being able to look at each other anyway,” he said, reclining against the fence and resting his hands behind his head.

You scurried back through your house and out of the fence slowing to an easy walk once were about to round the corner to see Sans for the first time. He was roughly your height give or take an inch, with points of light for eyes and a grin that stretched across his face.

Sans looked up to see something he wasn’t at all expecting. A human? No wait. Those were fins on your arms. But your face looked…. Yet your body was…. You slowed as you eyed the way he was looking at you, stopping a few feet nearby him. You had forgotten what you looked like. It was easy to forget when no one was eyeing you quite like you were supposed to act, which was more like one thing than the other. They either expected you to act like a monster or a human. You were always floored when they voiced this opinion. One never acted different from the other in your opinion unless they were monsterphobes.

“Um…,” you started, “Are you okay?” You leaned down next to him. You’d have reached out to him, but you still weren’t sure how he was reacting to you. Big, concerned eyes stared down at him. A light blue dusted across his cheekbones. Then he noticed how your eyes were different. Huh….

“*yeah,” he replied, quickly snapping out of it, “*so you’re the elusive ________. mind helping me up? then you can invite me inside and make sure i’m ok.” You laughed as you stood, feeling more at ease and reaching a hand out to help him up. He stood, and you motioned for him to follow you.

Sans glanced around as he entered your house. It was large for one person, and he imagined that you probably felt that way nowadays quite a bit. Overall, it was a nice place though. You kept things neat. He gazed at the movie collection sitting next to your television.

“Did you want to watch something?” you offered, noticing he was looking over the shelves and shelves of DVDs.

“*whatever you want to do is fine,” he said as he moved over to sit on the couch.

“Well normally I tend the garden about this time, but I figure you wouldn’t want to watch me do that.”

“*i don’t mind,” he said, getting right back up.

“O-oh okay. This way.” You led him through your kitchen and out the clear sliding door to the garden. He watched as you walked over to the fruits and vegetables to start weeding the soil. He sat on the patio and watched, looking at the numerous plants. There wasn’t a set theme to the color or types of plants. It was just multiple types of plants that bloomed at different times apparently – if the fact that it was an array of color dotted with large patches of green where flowers hadn’t bloomed forth were any indication. Then he spotted the camellia bush sitting away from the other plants. He walked over to it, eyeing the bush with its currently closed blossoms. You noticed his intrigued stare.

“Those were my mom’s. They bloom in moonlight, and that’s why she loved them so much.”

“*is this your mom’s garden?”

“It belongs to both of us really. She wanted it more than I did, but I warmed up to it eventually.”

“*do you have a specific flower bush too?”

“I used to entertain the idea, but never really got around to it.” Sans hummed in acknowledgement of your statement before looking around some more. His eyes landed on you, more specifically the scales that trailed from your wrist up to your arm and disappeared beneath the sleeve of your shirt. The fin on your arm was vaguely reminiscent of the fins that adorned Undyne’s head but yours were more rounded into an arch on your forearms. You once more noticed his stare.

“I know I’m different,” you say, looking away from him.

“*you just don’t look like what I expected.”

“What did you expect?”

“*part of me thought that maybe you were human because i thought maybe Frisk had met someone kind of like them. another part of me thought you might have been a monster because the kid just seems drawn to those kinds of people. but….”

“I guess I’m the best of both worlds then, huh?” you said with a patient smile.

“*you sayin’ you’re some kind of hybrid?” he asks with a joking smile.

“Yeah, actually,” you admit, waiting for his response. He blinks, a serious (as serious as a constant smile can get) look on his face. Then he does something you don’t expect – something you never came to expect. He just smiled and said,

“*cool.” You whipped your head to look at him, and he blinked back in surprise at your sudden reaction. You felt your face heat up.

“I-I never met anyone w-who thought it was cool. Or even n-normal.” Sans blinked.

“*it’s not normal, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad or anything. you would think with the amount of people that don’t look alike – human and monster alike – there wouldn’t be any issue with how you looked.” You smiled, your blush not as prominent but still present on your face.

“Thanks,” you said, “I’m just about done here if you wanted to hang out or something.”

“*nah, i oughtta be getting back to Papyrus. he must be wondering where i am.”

“Who?” you asked.

“*my brother. maybe you’ll meet him some day.”

“Sounds cool,” you replied, standing up so you could see him out.

“*maybe i’ll stop by and we can share a few more jokes.” You smiled as he sent you a wink and left your home. You closed the door. Now began the hard part. It was something you had to deal with often. Being alone in the house. You turned around to face the emptiness that plagued you since, well, a while ago….

 _You walked through the door of your home, and immediately felt everything was wrong. Something, no,_ everything _was off. The house was too big. You hadn’t realized this until today. Your mom was in the hospital. She had taken a turn for the worse, but you were determined to stay positive. It wasn’t the first time she had taken such a turn. And she always came back home. Maybe it was the sad looks of the nurses and doctors getting to you just a bit. Or maybe it was because they had told you to prepare for the worst. Not only did you not want to do so, you didn’t want to imagine this house without the presence of someone else in it. The silence hung thickly in the air, and your footsteps, as a result, echoed loudly through the air. Memories swirled around of times you spent with your mother, from happy significant ones to regular ones of passing conversations. It was not an easy thought to wrap your mind around: the thought of living alone. The worst part was that it hit you harder when she passed. You hadn’t liked the thought of living alone, but it was even worse to live without her. You could handle being lonely, but not being alone._

You took a shuddering breath and went through the motions of heating up some leftovers, losing your appetite and picking at it absently and going to bed. You turned on the small television you had in your room and put the volume on low – almost muted – so you would have some background noise. You found it hard to fall asleep to the silence that unnerved you so much.

~

Their sprit stopped short. Lingering just outside of your soul, they realized it grew just a bit. It was just a bit larger than before. It was an unexpected change but not an unwelcome one. That just meant more power. They buried into your soul to lay dormant until the time for them to come forth was right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, what do you think? Leave some feedback?


	3. Hallowed Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Routine: Get up, get ready, go to work, go home, struggle to get in your home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the past chapters there was mention of waitressing and snow. I changed those. Why? Because it feels like it's been done a lot in fanfics in general. So now you work at a boutique and it's about mid-spring or so. Enjoy! Also forgive mistakes. This chapter was written and re-written. Point some things out, and I'll correct them (I seriously welcome the corrections). If possible, leave a bit of feedback. I need to know how I'm doing.

“What do you think of the blue?” you asked as you stood poised with arms full of clothes.

“Well what do you recommend?” Your eye twitched just a bit. She’d been holding the dressing room for a close to an hour. She couldn’t seem to decide on what to buy.

“The dresses here are pretty good. All of the prints are flattering all year round,” you said with a sweet smile, feeling a headache coming on if she didn’t pick something soon. You wanted to go on break.

“No, I’m watching what I buy now. I have far too many prints.” You resisted the urge to eye her first few selections sitting idly by on a chair – all of which included leopard or zebra or floral prints which you would have to put back before probably trying again and going through the same routine.

“We also have solid colors?”

“Yes, but those are so bland. And what if they’re too fattening?”

“How about stripes? They can be slimming.” you said in an overly sweet tone. It kept you from screaming. You’d been there for five hours, and your shift wouldn’t end for another three. Your feet and back were killing you.

“I’ll just keep thinking it over,” she said, waving you away. At least she didn’t need your attention. You briskly walked to the back before anyone else could flag you down. You leaned against the wall in the back. You paid no mind the others bustling about. As long as you weren’t in the walkways, they didn’t care what you did. Napstablook looked up from where he was doing stock. You tossed him a gentle smile.

“How have you been?” he asked. He’d known about what had happened and felt bad – worse than normal anyway.

“It’s fine,” you said. You’d actually been avoiding thinking about it all day. It constantly felt like a pit was open in your stomach and waiting to devour you. It hurt you physically too.

“You look sick,” he mentioned, noticing your ashen complexion at the mention of everything that had happened.

“I guess I should be over it now, huh?” you asked. It had been nearly a month since, but nothing felt okay. Everything felt wrong. You felt hurt, like you were so close to falling apart but never quite there. It ate away at the pit of your stomach, making your breaths uneven and shaky. It was like having constant anxiety. Your breaths were a bit shallower now. Bethany, your other friend from work took notice before taking your hand and dragging you out the back.

She put her hands on your shoulders and looked you dead in the eyes, her usually bright, brown eyes taking on a stern appearance.

“Breathe,” she ordered. You focused on nothing but her eyes in that moment. “In,” she instructed calmly, you complying. “And out.” You exhaled slowly. You both repeated this a few times until you were calm. She took your face in her hands, leaning in close.

“You okay?” she asked. You nodded as best you could. “Good. And no. Your mother died. You’re not going to be okay for a long time. But you will be eventually.” Her words stung, but you knew they were true. And Bethany was never one to beat around the bush. Then she gave you a slow, almost sultry, smile. Her smiles were almost always like that though. She had a natural charm and beauty about her. You flushed even after she let go of your face and led you back inside.

“I-I’m sorry,” Napstablook said with little tears bubbling up in his eyes.

“No, it’s fine. I’m still working through it, but every day gets better.”

“You sure ran out of there really fast though,” Bethany noted.

“There’s a woman out there that’s impossible to please, and I just don’t have the patience right now.” Suddenly your boss Michael burst into the room.

“Has anyone helped that woman out there that can’t seem to make up her mind?”

“I have,” you replied. He gave you a look of pity.

“You have my permission to tack on an extra thirty minutes to your break. Now go before she comes after you,” he said dramatically. You knew he was half joking, but you were prepared to take him more than seriously. You grabbed your purse and practically ran out of there. You took a deep breath of air outside. It was a nice day outside, reasonably warm with a light breeze rolling through occasionally. You wanted a burger really badly. So why not head over to Grillby’s? Since you had the extra time, you were confident you could walk over there and back in no time.

“*hey, it’s been a few days hasn’t it?” You looked to the sides to see Sans. You smiled as he fell into step next to you.

“Hey. How’s things with Frisk? They haven’t been over in a while.”

“*oh, yeah, Tori said they’ve had a ton of homework. i think their struggling with it a little bit. keeps the kid up at night so there’s no energy for them in the morning to run off.”

“And she’s okay with Frisk coming over?”

“*yeah. i gave the O.K. on my report. you seem nice enough, and she trusts me.” You laughed a bit.

“Glad she does. Frisk is a little joy to have around.”

“*and how’re _you_?”

“Uh, I’m managing. Headed to Grillby’s now for lunch.”

“*what a coinkydink. me too. so, uh, where do you work?”

“At the boutique a few blocks back.”

“*i guess I shoulda figured you’d work at someplace like that. being into fashion and all. is it fun?”

“Yes and no. I love working with it, and my boss trusts me enough to dress the mannequins myself with my own personal style, but then there are some customers that are hard to deal with.”

“*most?”

“No, not that many. You should stop by someday. I’ll dress you up. You won’t even recognize yourself.”

“*that good huh? heh, maybe one day I’ll take you up on that offer. were you always into fashion or was this a recent development?”

“Not quite recent. I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m not exactly like every other monster or human. I’m fifty percent of both you know.”

“*no kidding? wait, uh, how?” The two of you were starting to approach Grillby’s at this point.

“One of the people to fall into the Underground was a young teenager. So was my mom. One thing led to another and here I was.” The two of you walked into Grillby’s, each taking a seat at the bar while Sans greeted a few friends who were probably regulars like Sans.

“My mom would tell me how they met a lot. True, it was because I asked a lot, but I never got tired of hearing it. She says that he was her one and only. But they were something like star-crossed lovers. He couldn’t stay, and she knew that. But she was also hoping that maybe he would live – even though it meant everyone would be underground. I guess love will do that to you.”

_You sat between your mom’s legs as she pulled your hair back into multiple braids._

_“Tell me how you and dad met.” She chuckled. You never grew tired of this story, and she never truly grew tired of telling it._

_“He’d wandered all over the Underground. He was young and handsome, about my age. When I first saw him I was loitering outside the MTT Hotel smoking. He walked by and asked to join. Apparently cigarettes down here are different from the ones up above. He said the taste was weird. He’d never had one flavored like tea leaves before. We spent the night talking and smoking out back. I don’t know what it was, but the few hours I spent with him were better than any moment I’d spent with any other boy I’d known. And we did what I usually do. You know your mother always was a little promiscuous. But it was different with him. You know I think he was ‘the one.’ I asked him to stay. It would be a shame if the fluffy king had to kill him, but he had a family and a life to return to. I knew I couldn’t ask him to leave.”_

_“Tell me what he looked like?”_

_“You don’t know? You look closer to him than me. __s/c__ skin, __e/c__ eyes, thick, curly, __h/c__ hair. All you got from me were the scales and fins and webbed toes. And maybe how long your hair has grown.”_

Sans sipped his drink – which just so happened to be a bottle of ketchup – before biting into his condiment soaked burger.

“*that’s kind of a wild tale, huh?”

“Kind of, but I guess that distracts from the original question, huh?”

“*to be honest, I don’t remember it,” Sans chuckled.

“You asked if getting into the fashion business were a recent thing. It’s not so recent because I always loved pretty outfits. Especially dresses,” you added as you fingered the edge of the simple purple, casual dress you were wearing. “They made me feel pretty since I didn’t really feel pretty or even normal growing up. But somewhere along the way I just kinda fell in love with fashion as a whole.” Sans felt the slightest bit of confusion. You weren’t exactly the picture of ugliness. In fact, you were really pretty.

“*but you’re not ugly,” he blurted. You looked at him then blushed.

“Thanks, but it’s not something I really worry about now. It was just some self-esteem problem years and years ago. But thank you.” You took a sip of your own drink, and the two of you chatted about this and that. Then you told him you had quite the collection of manga.

“*you know,” he started, “*you and a friend of mine, Alphys, would really get along well. she’s a total anime/manga nut. i’ll tell her to drop by your job sometime maybe.”

“That sounds alright,” you said, but not really sure how you felt about it. Sans handed you his phone. You blinked in surprise. You never really had many contacts in your phone other than Bethany, Napstablook, your boss, Frisk, and your mom. You put your number in his phone. It felt surreal to have made a new friend. They weren’t people you actively sought out. You couldn’t even remember becoming friends with Bethany. The two of you just kind of fell into that role, occasionally hanging out and working together. It just came naturally. So this was strange.

You looked at your watch. If you left now, you’d have time to make it back to your job with roughly five minutes to spare.

“I should be going back to work now. But I had fun,” you said with a bright smile – the brightest Sans had ever seen you smile anyway – as you hopped down from the bar stool. You left your money for your meal on the counter.

“*i’ll be seein’ ya then,” he said before taking another swig of ketchup. He waved as he watched you start to walk away. You waved back before turning and walking out of the door.

Once you walked back into the boutique, Bethany gave you a pleading look. The woman was still there despite you having been gone for an hour. You sighed and signaled that you would help her in a moment. You put your purse in the back, waving to Napstablook and your boss who looked ready to tear his hair out. You put away your purse before heading back out on the floor. You looked amongst all the designer brands, only specifically eyeing the ones in her price range that she had mentioned to you earlier before deciding on a casual, black dress with ¾ sleeves and little beaded, blue rose details lining the edges of it. It was figure flattering for a woman of her build and it was reasonably priced.

You walked up to the woman with a look of determination in your eye.

“You’ve been here quite a long time, and, unfortunately, it prohibits us from efficiently helping all of our customers. I’ve picked out a dress matching your requests. It’s perfect for you, and if you don’t think so, I will go to my boss right now and quit my job.” The woman blinked surprise before flushing. She couldn’t tell if you were serious or not, and, therefore, didn’t know if she should be offended by your first remark or not. So she took the dress out of your hands and retreated to one of the dressing rooms.

“Thank you,” Bethany practically bawled, “She was so _awful_.” You put a hand on her shoulder in sympathy, but then she yanked you in close for a hug. You squeaked in surprise.

“You know I expect more out of you,” she said, more or less playfully nuzzling the top of your head. You tried to suppress a groan, trying to be as polite as possible. It was no doubt you were friends and even less that she had a thing for you. She was quite open about it. Where you were more conservative about your feelings towards others, she was far more open – which is why when you two hung out, you kept her out of trouble. She pulled away as the woman was approaching the two of you in the dress with an unreadable expression on her face. She stopped in front of you. Everything you predicted about the outfit was true. She looked great.

“I love it,” were the first words out of her mouth. Then she broke out into a grin. “I want to wear it out of the store immediately. Ring me up.” Bethany and you broke out into twin grins before Bethany led her to the checkout area.

Michael walked up beside you, nodding his head in approval.

“Why is it your little ‘fashion gift’ _only_ kicks in at moments of frustration? I wish you had gotten her out of here hours ago. But, otherwise, good job,” he said, giving you little pats on the back before leaving.

The day passed by with more reasonable customers and no major/diva meltdowns from the more snobbish customers. Overall, excluding the one woman, it was a pretty good day. You grabbed your purse and were prepared to leave.

“Hey,” Bethany called, “I’ll walk with you.” You smiled. Even if you couldn’t return her feelings, you still enjoyed her company. The sun was much lower in the sky now and it was a bit cooler but still nice out. Bethany and you often walked for a bit after work, the first stretch of your journeys home were the same.

“So I’ll be heading out Saturday evening with a few friends. Did you want to tag along?”

“That’s nice and all, Beth, but you know I’m not really one for large groups.” Maybe if it were just a small group, you would, but “few friends” to Bethany usually meant about fifteen to twenty people.

“I know, I just think you need to get out of that house more. You remember when my dog died?” You nodded. She was pretty broken up about it. You and your mom had been there to take her out and invite her over and cheer her up. “Just looking at the dog leash hanging by the door tore me up. I couldn’t even throw away her things. They’re sitting in a box in a closet. If that was enough to break me, then I know sitting alone in that house isn’t good for you. Just come out with us for a bit, and if you really feel that uncomfortable, then I’ll take you home. You just shouldn’t be alone for so long.” You mulled it over in your head for a bit before nodding slowly.

“Okay. I’ll go with you after work.” She smiled brightly.

“Great. I’ll see you then. Bye,” she waved as the two of you reached the end of your journey together, leaving in opposite directions. You walked on, listening to the sounds of the city as it began to shift from day to night and eventually from city to suburb. Surprisingly enough, the suburb you lived in wasn’t far from the city at all, just a little ways away from its outskirts. It was about half an hour to walk from the start of your neighborhood to work and usually you took your car, but it was so nice out that you couldn’t resist. Your phone let out a little tinkling chime and you fished it out from your purse.

  * ***thought i oughtta give you my number so i can warn ya if Alphys is gonna stop by**



You recognized it as Sans and smiled down at your phone. You had forgotten – you made a friend today. You entered his number as “The Punny Skeleton” before texting back.

  * **Why? Is she something worth warning about?**
  * ***Alphys is harmless. but her girlfriend is pretty rough, and they’re almost always together.**
  * **That’s cute~ I hope they don’t do too much damage. My boss is pretty meticulous about the appearance of his shop.**
  * ***if you keep Alphys around, then she’ll keep Undyne in check.**



You assumed Undyne was the name of Alphys’s girlfriend.

  * **Thanks for the warning.**
  * ***no problem, kiddo.**



You wrinkled your nose at the nickname he attached to you. It wasn’t something you were used to hearing. True, you heard it a few times from your mom when you were young, but that had been nearly twelve years ago since the last time. But you didn’t think about it too long. The hardest part of your trip home was coming up. You approached your house, lingering outside of the gate as you eyed the gate’s door. Inside was the house that felt like a hollow shell waiting to swallow you whole and suffocate you. It was like this every time you left. But you couldn’t wait outside forever. You pressed onward, your determination having fled you when you approached the hollow home that no longer felt like home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. Turns out you have quite the talent for fashion. Also a tiny bit of social anxiety. And your mom's death still haunts you. But you made a new friend! And you're making an effort to leave the house! You're still pretty messed up, but I'm so proud of your steps to recovery. Stay determined!


	4. Big Groups and Exciting Outings Are Overrated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes having a shy demeanor is a good thing. Others will be comfy in your presence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if there are any inconsistencies. This chapter was written and rewritten and then rewritten and re-edited. I tried to keep it smooth and may do a flash back so you know how your time with Bethany was spent on the night out.

“At least it’s not as girly as I thought it would be,” you heard someone scoff as they walked by. You peaked around the display you were setting up as two monsters walked by. One sort of like a fish, much like yourself, but all fish with stunning red hair wrapped up in a ponytail. And a golden brown reptilian woman followed her, taking mousy steps behind her. Undyne eyed one of the leather jackets hanging on a rack nearby with white embroidery going up the sleeves.

“That would look great on you,” you said almost instinctively. They turned to look at you, and you gave them your most polite “employee” smile. The fish woman looked up and down.

“You that chick Sans was talkin’ about?” You blinked, surprised by how straightforward she was.

“Uh, I guess. My name is ________ ________. It’s nice to meet you,” you said with a smile, sticking out your hand for them to shake.

“Undyne,” she said with a toothy grin, grabbing your hand in a near-bone breaking squeeze.

“And you must be Alphys?” You looked towards Undyne’s companion. She nodded sheepishly.

“I-it’s nice t-to meet you. S-Sans said y-you l-liked anime, a-and he told m-me to d-drop by.”

“It’s mostly so we can get her to come out of her shell more,” Undyne said while giving her a few rough pats on the back. You wondered if Undyne new she was pure muscle.

“Yeah, I get that, so uhhhh. You like Mew Mew Kissy Cutie?” Alphys’s eyes widened and her jaw slowly began to drop. For a moment you wondered if you offended her, but then….

“I love Mew Mew Kissy Cutie!” she all but shouted. Then, seeming to remember where she was, she blushed and quieted down. “I-I-I m-mean I love th-that one. I-I have half of t-the manga series.”

“I have it. The whole thing, I mean,” you said with a little giggle as you thought about the rather extensive amount of anime you had collected. You had gone through a bit of an anime-craze phase and bought manga left and right, but now you were just content with watching or reading it online occasionally. “You could always borrow a few of the issues if you want?”

“R-really? I-I mean th-that’s great!”

“So you free to talk or you gonna get in trouble or something’?” Undyne asked looking around for what you assumed to be your manager.

“Well, I have to work, but so long as I’m helping you out, then it’s alright.”

“Alright then. Find me something to wear.”

“That jacket you were looking at was really nice. The black and white will go nicely with your hair since a really pretty deep red color.”

“Find me an outfit to go with it, but don’t go over my budget. That’s, like, seventy bucks by the way.”

“I got you,” you said as you spun on your heel to look for an outfit for Undyne. They followed close behind you making idle chatter. You felt your phone buzz in your pocket and checked to make sure Michael wasn't watching when you checked it.

  * ***two monsters headed your way to bond.**



You rolled your eyes. It was a little late for the warning _now_ , but from what you had gathered, the two were pretty tame. Well, Alphys was always tame it seemed. It was Undyne who seemed to constantly have energy bubbling beneath her skin. She talked animatedly about the anime that Alphys had introduced her to and her love for the larger than life weapons they would possess, and sometimes she got excited and talked a little too loudly. But Alphys was always there to quiet her a little when her volume reached double that of an inside voice. Within ten or so minutes of sifting through clothes more suited to Undyne’s budget, you managed to find a pair of denim skinny jeans with white embroidery along the side of one leg and on the bottom hem of the other and a white shirt that would hang off of her shoulder and hug closely everywhere else. For an added measure you tossed in a stainless steel necklace with a fishhook pendant. She barked a laugh at that when she saw it.

“You should try it on. I think it’ll look nice on you.” She eyed the clothes. She wasn’t so sure about actually trying them on. She wasn’t even sure she really wanted the outfit. It didn’t look too bad. It wasn’t girly or anything, so it wasn’t like she had to worry about looking ridiculous.

“It isn’t much,” she remarked.

“Less is more,” you assured, “Your hair is really eye-catching, and so you don’t need flashy clothes to draw any attention to you.” She hummed out a noise just to acknowledge that she was somewhat considering what you said. After a moment more, she took the clothes, heading towards the nearest dressing room. You noticed Alphys had been rather quiet during this exchange. You looked to see her fingering the fabric of a rather poufy pink dress with slight giddiness in her eyes. She wanted the dress, you could see that much.

“Not that one,” you said, putting your hand on hers. She looked up at you a light flush on her face. “The shape is wrong. It won’t be flattering on you. And the color is all wrong. It’ll just clash. Orange or blue would be better. They’ll compliment your complexion nicely. You grabbed a nearby dress that was a deep navy blue color and a creamy white midriff cardigan.

“These would look much better. It’ll bring out the nice color of your scales,” you said with a smile. Alphys blushed more deeply, clearly not used to compliments.

“Y-y-y-you think so? I-I mean…,” she trailed off, eyeing the clothes in your hands. Then Undyne stepped out of the dressing room with a large, toothy grin on her face.

“I’ll take it,” she proclaimed loudly. She looked good in the clothes you picked out, having chosen tints rather than actual colors so her own blue and red color scheme could stand out more – providing color where it was needed. “You’re alright.” Her yellow eyes glinted with approval and you felt yourself flush lightly with satisfaction. Then she noticed the clothes in your hands. “Those for me too?”

“Alphys actually,” you said. The dress was a navy blue chiffon dress with one inch straps and an empire waist. There was also a small line of white lace along the square neckline. It would hug Alphys’s frame where necessary and flow with the rest.

“I-I don’t know,” she said. She wasn’t used to wearing such colors. She was naturally attracted to bright colors since most of her wardrobe consisted of black and white – you were right when you said that the color wouldn’t be flattering on her. But the thought that she might not look good weighed heavily in the back of her mind.

“Trust her,” Bethany said as she sidled up next to the three of you, “She’s yet to lead anyone wrong.” Undyne eyed the new comer up and down.

“This is my friend Bethany,” you explained. She gave a small wave and Alphys stuttered out a hello while Undyne said hers in her usual brash manner.

“W-what do you think, Undyne?”

“I think you’ll look cute no matter what, but clearly she knows what’s up. So I say go for it.” Alphys gave a quick nod before grabbing the clothes and scurrying into the dressing room.

“While she’s in there I suppose I should introduce the two of you. Bethany, this is Undyne, and that was her girlfriend Alphys. They’re friends with someone I met the other day.”

“Someone you met?” Bethany questioned.

“Yeah a friend of a friend. They’re friends with Frisk.”

“Ah, okay,” she said.

“So Sans says you’re a friend of Frisk,” Undyne started, “How’d you meet?”

“Sans or Frisk?” you ask.

“Both I guess.”

“My mother used to be Frisk’s teacher, and I used to help out occasionally. I met Sans when he was checking up on Frisk to see where they were running off to some mornings.”

“So you’re who Frisk was seeing? What do the two of you even do in the mornings?”

“We cook breakfast together and watch movies.” Undyne seemed to consider this for a second.

“R-ready,” Alphys called. The three of you waited for her to emerge. Her face was flushed with excitement and embarrassment. But she looked great.

“You look amazing,” Bethany cooed.

“You really do, babe,” Undyne said as she slung an arm around her waist, eyeing her up and down somewhat lewdly. Alphys’s face flushed a deeper shade of red.

“T-thank you,” she said to Undyne and Bethany, “A-and thank you f-for the suggestion.” She was flushed with a new sense of pride and confidence. Bethany turned her attention over to you as your clients retreated to the dressing rooms to change back into their regular clothes.

“Did you remember our little date tomorrow?” she asked with a wink. You blushed.

“I-it’s not a date! And, yeah, I didn’t forget. Should I wear anything special or…?”

“No, no. Just wear one of your cute dresses, and we’ll take my car to the bar. You know, Matt’s missed seeing you, but don’t worry. I’ll protect you,” she said, adding the last part suggestively.

“Stop it!” you said, laughing it off. Matt was a friend of Bethany’s who asked you out at least once every time he saw you. He knew you weren’t interested, but it was fun to make you blush anyhow.

“We’ll take the clothes, punk,” Undyne said as she emerged from the dressing area, Alphys quietly in tow. “Also we’re gonna hang out tomorrow. You’re alright.” You blinked in surprise, but didn’t have time to respond as she grabbed your phone from your pocket and added her number before tossing it back to you. “See ya.” Then she began heading to the checkout area.

“I-it was nice meeting you. T-text me your address I-I guess,” Alphys said before scurrying after her.

“Look at you makin’ friends!” Bethany said as she gave you a quick slap on the back. You looked down at your phone, blinking at it in slight surprise. Then you smiled.

 

Look at you makin’ friends.

~

It was one of those days. Most days you were able to move through the motions, yet with others… it felt like you could barely breathe. Tears dribbled down the sides of your face as you stared up at the ceiling, a little less than an hour before you had to get up to get ready for your outing today. Air passed through your lungs weakly as a pit opened in your stomach as you yearned for the motherly affection you could no longer receive.

Your dream had been a bittersweet one – starting off so nicely and ending so cruelly. Your mom telling you to get up because she was trying a new pancake recipe. You did so eagerly, rushing down the steps and into the kitchen where the smell of food was wafting through the air. But when you got there, there was no food. The smell had disappeared. And your mom wasn’t there. You blinked in confusion. And then you remembered. She was gone. This is a dream. Afterwards you had blinked your eyes open slowly in the dim light of a room about to be draped in sunlight once the sun’s rays would more strongly leak through your curtains. You had lay there staring up at the ceiling for fifteen minutes barely breathing, feeling your heart shatter and re-shatter while you tried to figure out why your own subconscious would play such a cruel joke on you.

Then your phone vibrated. It was probably Bethany asking if you wanted to grab a treat at that frozen treat cart that sometimes parked outside the boutique. You weren’t really up to the task of eating.

  * **Hey, punk! We’ll be by your place around noon then. Don’t bail on us or else I’ll hunt you down in my new threads, so I can look great doing it. How’s that for cruel irony? >:)**



You, somehow, managed to laugh at the text. It was weird the affects these people were having on you. Just a minute ago you were ready to break down under the weight of the haze of depression that had been burying you since you woke up. And now you felt better. Still sad but as if you could move again, breathe easier. You got another text from Bethany a minute later.

  * **Ice cream later?**



You smiled.

  * **Yeah, sounds good. :3 Maybe this evening. I won’t be free for a while.**



You swung your legs over the edge of your bed, standing up and feeling a little lighter. Your phone vibrated again.

  * **Good morning, new friend! My brother Sans has informed me that you are a friend he has made and I am confident we too may be friends!**



You blinked at the text that came from Sans’s phone but was clearly not Sans.

  * **You’re Papyrus I assume?**
  * **Yes, I am the Great Papyrus! I am pleased to make your unofficial acquaintance! I have talked with my brother, and he agrees we must meet to spend some time together. I look forward to our future outing, new friend!**



You giggled. You wondered if he was half as eccentric as his manner of speech appeared to be.

  * **Sounds like fun. My name is ________ by the way.**



He didn’t respond after that. You picked out your clothes for the day and were about to head to the bathroom for a shower, but your phone vibrated once more.

  * ________ **! I am now texting you from my phone! Now you have the number of the Great Papyrus. I look forward to conversing with you in the future.**



It was so strange how easy-going the text alone made you feel, as if all the good feelings your friends had was being sent to you.

  * **I look forward to meeting you in the future Great Papyrus.**



You laughed at your own attempt to play along before setting your phone down and heading to the bathroom. You went through your usual routine feeling lighter than normal, forgetting for a while that the house was empty for everything save for some bittersweet memories. You pulled your hair back into a few intricate braids that wove around each other. It was a simple style that looked good on you – considering complex styles that looked good on you took entirely too long with your amount of hair. Then you grabbed your phone, keys, and purse before bounding down the stairs and setting them on the living room couch. You walked into the kitchen, pouring yourself some cereal before going back into the living room and plopping down on the couch and turning the T.V. on. It was a rerun of some Mettaton episode of a drama series you didn’t watch. But you didn’t much care what was on. You dug into your cereal, watching half-heartedly as the robot struck several dramatic poses in his – rather random – musical number when your phone vibrated once more.

  * ***paps said you’d be hanging out with us soon. gotta date planned?**
  * **Sometime next week. I’m busy this weekend.**
  * ***sounds good.**
  * ***hey, you wanna hear a plant joke? Be-leaf me. It’s hilarious.**



You gigged at the stupid joke before rolling your eyes.

  * **You’re terrible.**
  * ***you say that now. but the next time you have a difficult customer at work, this’ll be the joke that makes you smile.**
  * **You know, a tree is always random when it decides to vacation. It just packs up its trunk and leaves.**
  * ***just wait ‘til Pap finds out his soon to be new friend is one of my pun pals.**



You laughed, shaking your head and putting your phone in your purse. You sighed contentedly unaware of the light smile that had been plastered to your face practically since the first text you received from Undyne. It was roughly twenty minutes later before you got another text from Undyne.

  * **Hey, punk! I can’t make it today because reasons, but Alphys was kinda looking forward to this, so you’re gonna take her out on your own. She better have a good time or I’m coming after you!**



You laughed a bit at the text message.

  * **When will she be over?**
  * **Same time as before. Remember what I said, punk! A good time!**



True to her word, Alphys arrived at the agreed time, looking as if she felt as awkward as you did now that Undyne was not there to ensure the tension stayed broken. It was weird to stick two rather introverted people together assuming they would click. It wasn’t hard to be friends if either would be able to keep up the conversation.

“U-Undyne couldn’t m-make it. S-so I guess it’s j-just me. I hope that’s okay,” she explained.

“Y-yeah! That’s fine.”

“W-was there anything in particular you wanted to do today?”

“Um, I don’t really know. I was just going to ask you and Undyne. I mean we could go see a movie or get something to eat.”

“W-we could I guess,” she said timidly as she twiddled her fingers, looking around nervously. You had forgotten about Alphys’s rather simple nature. Unlike Undyne she was less enthusiastic about places that house large crowds. You guessed you could kind of relate. Especially since your previous night out with Bethany and company wasn’t the most fun. Her friends were fun and some were charming in their own way, but you ultimately wound up keeping to yourself.

“Uh, actually, I have a better idea. Let’s just go to Barnes n Noble.”

“Wh-what’s there?”

“We could just sit in the aisle and read some manga. If we get hungry then we can go to their little café. It’ll be nice and quiet and we can just relax.” Her face brightened a bit. She almost looked relieved.

“Th-that sounds really enjoyable, actually.”

A rather silent and somewhat awkward car ride later, the two of you were in the store laughing and fangirling over your favorite manga. It was such a change from the trip over, but you could honestly say that you were comfortable in her presence.

“T-this is nice,” Alphys said after a while of silent reading. You looked up from your own manga to look at her.

“What is?”

“Th-this is. The r-reading and h-hanging out. I-it’s nice when you can h-hang out with someone w-without having to, y-ya know, socialize a-a lot,” she said with a light blush. You smiled back gently.

“Yeah, I like small, quiet outings. Being with all my friends is great and all, but it’s nice to just take it easy from time to time. We could do this often if you like?” She smiled more widely.

“I-I’d like that, b-but it’s getting late. We should go.” She was halfway through a large manga – one of those five in one types.

“Is that one any good?” you asked.

“I-it’s really good! I almost don’t want to put it down, b-but the mall will be closing soon.”

“You go ahead. I’ll meet you at the entrance.”

“O-okay,” she said, putting the book on its shelf and heading for the door. You grabbed the book and headed for the checkout with a manga of your own tucked under your arm as well.

“Will that be all for you today?” the cashier, a young red-headed woman that was eyeing you strangely, asked.

“Yes,” you answered meekly as she scanned your items. The air felt tense, and you were once again reminded that you were not inherently normal in either sense by human or monster standards.

“For you,” you said when you met up with her. She looked surprised and more than a little pleased when she looked into the bag.

“Y-you didn’t have to do this!” she said, flustered and blushing.

“I wanted to. I know what it’s like to not be able to finish a good book and not knowing when I ever can.”

“Thanks for the nice day out,” she said as the two of you left the mall, walking towards your car. “Don’t tell Undyne, but I didn’t mind the quiet of it all.”

“It’s fine. I can imagine it’s nice to have a day where there aren’t any loud noises.”

“I’m sorry if Undyne sometimes comes off as a bit much.”

“I don’t mind. Believe it or not, she actually reminds me of my mom a little bit,” you admitted sheepishly, if not a little sadly.

“O-oh?” Alphys asked a little surprised. You nodded.

“Passionate and straight-forward. Outgoing and sometimes excitable. The only difference is the ability to be gentle.”

“She has her moments of gentleness, but it’s true she is a bit rough,” Alphys giggled out. The two of you spent the car ride to her house chatting about your favorite mangas, coming up with little fan theories and discussing OTPs – even occasionally gushing at the thought of some of the more attractive characters, not that either of you would really mention it to anyone (especially to Undyne).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So whaddya think? I know this chapter wasn't quite exciting but there's always gonna be a few chapters that are little blah so I can establish more plot. I hope I got their personalities right. And I hope you enjoyed the story so far! Can't wait to write more for you! Leave a comment or a kudo. They're always appreciated (just like you).


	5. That Thing In Cliche Romcoms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whether you know it or not, you're healing. Love heals wounds and lights the dark and fills you with unimaginable happiness in the strangest of ways sometimes.
> 
> The unknown spirit has never felt healing work within them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Point out typos or continuity errors for me so that I may correct them (because sometimes I'm all over the place with my writing). It's appreciated. Comment & Kudo! Those are also appreciated. Enjoy the story!!! That's what appreciate the most :3

“So what stopped you from hanging out with us last time?” you asked as you sipped your drink.

“Nothing big. Kitchen was on fire again.”

“And you thought it was okay to just casually text me about it rather than calling the fire department?” you asked, slightly disbelievingly.

“It happens,” Undyne said, waving it off. You blinked at her. You realized she underreacted to serious things yet overreacted to minor things. “The most important thing is that you made my girl here happy. And gave us some sweet manga too,” she said while giving Alphys a one-armed hug and toothy grin. You giggled at the pronounced blush on Alphys’s face. Today you were enjoying a day out of sorts – that Undyne wanted to call a “girl’s day out” – where you would meet up with Frisk’s mother as well as Frisk and Alphys’s personal friend whom she had yet to reveal. All you knew was that they were a close friend from the Underground with an overly busy schedule with this being the day they could finally spend time with her. But she assured you that it wouldn’t put a damper on things. You weren’t entirely sure why they needed to consider it a “girl’s day out” at all, but apparently Undyne had seen some movie that included it and insisted they try everything cliché about it from shopping to ice cream to slumber parties and truth or dare and boys later.

“O-oh you’re here! I-I wasn’t sure if w-with your schedule, you’d be able to m-make it,” Alphys said excitedly. Undyne’s smile became strained. Clearly she was well-acquainted with this person. You turned in your seat to get a look at Alphys’s friend and found yourself gaping. There before you stood Mettaton, biggest star in the Underground turned biggest star in the world. Mettaton struck a dramatic taken aback pose.

“ _Darling,_ I wouldn’t dream of missing out on one of our little get-togethers. Why what kind of star would I be if I didn’t pay homage to the woman made me who I am today?” You were still a little awestruck, but managed to close your mouth. You weren’t a giant Mettaton fan if you could really count yourself one at all, but that such a large celebrity was here in this humble little café to casually hang out with your friends and yourself was a little surprising to say the least.

“I hope we aren’t late,” a gentle voice said from beyond Mettaton. You looked past him to see Frisk holding the hand of what looked like a goat monster headed towards your little group.

“And who might you be?” Mettaton asked, successfully redirecting your attention back to him.

“This is o-our new friend t-that I told you about,” Alphys filled in.

“Any friend of Alphys’s is a friend of mine,” he said with a dramatic hand on his chest as he grabbed yours with his free hand to shake.

“It’s a pleasure,” you said, “My name is ________ _________.”

“Mettaton, but I’m sure you, just like the rest of the world, knows that,” he said with a wink.

“Oh so you’re ________,” the goat woman said as she and Frisk reached your table. “I’m Toriel. It’s nice to finally meet you. Frisk seems quite fond of you, and Sans said you were quite nice.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you as well,” you said, giving her hand a shake as well. She sat down next to Frisk who sat beside you. Frisk grabbed your hand and squeezed it, giving you a large smile. Mettaton sat on Alphys’s other side.

“Looks like the gang’s all here, so let’s order something before we make ________ work her magic in the shopping part of the day,” Undyne announced.

“Oh, yes, Alphys mentioned you were quite the fashionista, so you must know the burden of being so fabulous. Your ensemble, I noticed, is simply to die for, darling.” You blushed. You were wearing a turquoise sun dress that stopped at your knees with pink and orange flowers printed on the lower corner, white wedge shoes with beige cork heels, and a sun hat adorned with a white ribbon and more flowers. Eye-catching and pretty despite your reserved nature.

“Why thank you,” you said in a rather flustered manner, “But despite how I may dress, I like to keep to myself.” Mettaton looked shocked.

“Surely you jest,” he said with a hand to his chest, leaning forward. He looked over your outfit again. Your ensemble was that of a young woman that enjoyed sipping tea at a high society country club. Yet you claimed to be as meek as a church mouse? Mettaton would make your inner fabulousness shine yet.

“H-hey, Toriel,” Alphys cut in, “H-how’re things a-at the s-school?”

“Hm? Oh they’re fine. The students show much promise this year.”

“I-it’s nice t-to hear y-young minds are eag-ger to l-learn new things.” You were thankful for Alphys’s interjection as you weren’t necessarily afraid of the robot, but you did not want to have any ideas springing into his head. The six of you ordered your meals and spent an hour or so talking. Before Mettaton absolutely could not take it anymore.

“I absolutely _cannot_ take it anymore,” he announced. “Undyne said you had magic abilities with fashion, and your outfit speaks for itself! I need to see you in action. New outfits for everyone on me! Provided _________ picks them out.”

“Yeah, I’m getting’ tired of sitting here too. Ya’ll ready?” Nods and hums of agreement all around. You rode with Undyne, Alphys, and Mettaton (because he had a limo drop him off), and Frisk and Toriel rode in Toriel’s van.

“Toriel said she’s gonna follow us. Any idea what stores we should go to?”

“I recommend one of mine,” Mettaton suggested. Undyne wanted to argue just to put the robot off of his pedestal, but, not really knowing much about where to buy the best clothes, let it slide. You often avoided the Mettaton brand stores because of the gaudy outward appearance and felt a little pit of unease build in your stomach. Mettaton was able to make such a blindingly bright pink work, but if the interior was anything like the exterior, then you’d have your work cut out for you.

Thankfully, this was not the case. There were multiple colors in the store with a small section purely dedicated to that awful pink color that you would be sure to avoid.

“Alright, darling, the moment of truth arrives. But let’s say we make it a little interesting?” Mettaton said with a smirk as he draped an arm around your shoulders. Your face lit up in a blush.

“W-what exactly did you have in mind?”

“If you can pick out an outfit for everyone that suits their personalities as well as compliments their figures, then I’ll do you a favor that I can tell you need.” You weren’t sure about the favor, but the challenge was rather enticing. You grinned.

“Alright. Deal.” You shook his hand before taking off. It wasn’t easy picking out outfits for people you had just barely met, but you felt you got the gist of their personalities. Frisk only needed blue pants and a purple shirt that said DETERMINE, a simple outfit for their simple personality. The thing that added the flair was the hat with a black flame detail and white shoes with dual black stripes going down the side. Toriel got a black turtleneck sweater and a small, faux pearl necklace. Her pants were greenish-brown corduroys and black flats with silver thread details. A silver bracelet would wrap that outfit up nicely. It was elegant yet simple and modest much like she was. Undyne was a leather kind of girl, and, surprisingly, there wasn’t much to be found. At least you found some leather, silver-studded pants. You paired some black combat boots, a silver chain belt, white mid-riff tube top and black denim jacket with them. Alphys needed to wear more skirts in your opinion. Despite her hunch and short stature, her legs were shapely in the best way. But you knew she wasn’t a “show the legs” kind of girl. So you settled on some white shorts that stopped a little above her knee, a sky blue off the shoulder top, and a gold necklace, gold bracelets, and a gold anklet with a little fish charm to accentuate the white ballet flats. Mettaton was tricky. You knew he loved himself if nothing else. So you grabbed a bright pink (shudder) tube top, a black faux fur halter vest, black leather daisy dukes and a pair of thigh high white boots. He’d be even more fabulous by the time you were done with him. As for jewelry, you picked out some yellow heart earrings that sort of reminded you of Alphys, recalling how he enjoyed paying homage to his creator. For yourself you chose simple black dress with a bright pink belt, black sheer tights, white ankle boots, a small white scarf, and a white newsboy cap.

Mettaton gasped when he saw everyone in the outfits.

“________,” be began, looking shocked, “Why they’re… they’re….” Suddenly you wondered if your sense of fashion had been off. “ _SPECTACULAR!”_ he all but shouted. “So unique to their personalities and flattering to boot! By the way, I couldn’t wait for you to finish, so I got this for you anyway. Only use it when it’s an emergency. When you wear it you simply won’t be able to run away.” He handed you a bag. You blinked, unsure of what that meant. You looked inside. It was a gorgeous black dress, but it was too low cut and the slit was too high. Just as well the price was way higher than what you would feel comfortable accepting.

“I can’t take this,” you began, but he cut you off with a finger to your lips.

“I won’t accept anything else.”

“No use arguing with him once he’s made up his mind,” Undyne muttered to you. You just laughed. You were having fun. Several hours and several outfits later (of which you bought three) you all went back to Alphys and Undyne’s home. A simple two story house with a white fence surrounding the yard. You all entered the house giggling and talking about this and that.

“But honestly, darling, what kind of monster are you? Such a face with gorgeous marine qualities on a body that is shaped so much like my own. You know, curvy in all the right places. What is your model make made of?” Mettaton couldn’t help but inquire. The two of you had been bonding over fashion since you picked out the outfits.

“Oh I’m a human-monster hybrid,” you laughed off. You were so at ease around all of them that you hadn’t registered the weight it must have carried to say such a thing.

“A-a-a-a-a-a hybrid?!” Alphys sputtered. You looked around at them. You had forgotten what it meant to be one of those – assuming there were more. Which you kind of doubted. Everyone looked at you strangely.

“I-is that a-a problem?” you stuttered. Oh gosh. You hugged yourself as your eyes darted down to the floor.

“My word,” you heard Toriel whisper.

“Extraordinary,” Alphys said, awestruck.

“Freaky,” Undyne said rather loudly in comparison to everyone else, a wide grin spreading on her lips. You were a bit shocked at first. Their reactions were unlike anything you’d received before – teasing as a child and bewildered looks as an adult. Now you were met with… amazement? Wonder? You felt heat rise to your cheeks.

“That could be good for ratings,” Mettaton murmured as he uncrossed his legs and examined you closely. Then he got louder. “In fact, it would be extraordinary! Human-monster relationships are rather rocky amongst the public as it is, yet here you are! A living, breathing testament to the love between them before we even arrived here!”

“I-I don’t know that that’s the best idea,” you muttered, “You have to remember that my father died in the Underground.”

“At the hand of that coward no less,” Toriel muttered bitterly.

“Oh no, no! Don’t get like that. He wanted to, or, rather, he didn’t mind. He said that if my mom could see stars it would be worth it. I don’t know the nittiest, grittiest details about my dad outside of what my mom told me, but she thought the world of him even in the short time they knew each other.”

“Well then there’s no problem! A hero, martyr even, dying for his one true love. All that’s left of him: a testament to that love. His one and only daughter who grew to be the face of equality. And a pretty face at that.”

“The quality of the face doesn’t matter if you’re trying to send a message, robot,” Undyne spat.

“No, but it certainly doesn’t hurt that she’s quite the attractive one,” he said, strutting over to you and putting a hand tenderly on your face. You blushed hotly.

“Enough of this stuff! Let’s get the sleepover prep started! Tori, Frisk, and _______ will be in charge of making the baked goodies for munchin’. Alphys will get some movies and anime to watch. _One_ Mettaton movie max! Mettaton you’re on game duty,” then she grinned almost evilly, “the more scandalous the better.” Mettaton practically sparked he was so overjoyed at the prospect of future gossip and scandalous behavior.

“A-and what’ll you be d-doing?” Alphys asked.

“I’ll be chauffeuring Mettaton in my old car. We don’t need the paparazzi beating down our door and finding out what I have in store for you all because he wanted drive around in a bright pink limo with his face plastered on the side and then park it out front.”

“I’m almost glad we can’t stay,” you heard Toriel mutter.

“You’re not staying?” you questioned.

“Oh heavens no! I mean, today’s outing was very enjoyable but Frisk and I have an early school day tomorrow and parent-teacher conferences afterwards. Speaking of which, Undyne, have you or Alphys cleared out a schedule?”

“No, s-sorry. I can’t g-get around t-the late night r-research. I-I prom-mised my b-boss I’d p-put in a few e-extra hours,” Alphys replied.

“And I’m taking on an extra shift as security to make sure she stays safe.”

“I see,” Toriel said, disappointment lacing her voice, “I suppose Sans will have to handle it on his own then.”

“Something wrong with that?” you questioned.

“No, but I feel better if there are two people in attendance. Frisk is already unique, having ‘numerous’ mothers and fathers. I want them to always feel that they have two parents to look after them. I never want them to feel abnormal.”

“I’ll go,” you suddenly volunteered. Toriel looked surprised.

“Y-you don’t have to. I’d feel awful if you cancelled your plans just to go to a conference.”

“No really, I don’t have anything planned after work. I can meet Frisk in their classroom.”

“Oh that’s wonderful! The meeting is at 3:30. Is that alright?”

“Of course. It’s no trouble.” Undyne gave you a rough clap on the back, smiling appreciatively.

“Welcome to the mom squad, nerd!” Frisk laughed at this.

“I’m more like a big sister, but I don’t mind being a temporary substitute.”

“Enough business talk! Let’s get this thang ready!” Undyne said with a fist pump before dragging Mettaton out of the door. Alphys followed after them, walking the short distance to a rental store to pick out some good anime that wasn’t already in her private collection.

You turned to Toriel and Frisk.

“So… ready to make something?” Toriel smiled and nodded.

“I’ll make some dinner. We can’t eat sweets all night,” you volunteered.

“I can imagine a certain skeleton would like it if you made spaghetti,” she mentioned.

“Would he like it a skele-ton?” you joked. She laughed.

“Indeed he would. And leave a little sauce left over. Sans would appreciate that.”

“So it’s his brother who’s the spaghetti aficionado?”

“Oh, yes, Papyrus loves it, and against my wishes attempts to eat it every day. He’s completely in love with pasta. But he’s almost too sweet to say no to.”

“At least he’s not _saucy_ about it.” Toriel snickered again.

“Sans was right. You don’t seem to miss a beat on jokes. I can just imagine all the joke pasta-bilities.” You laughed. Frisk worked happily alongside the two of you while you chatted casually about this and that, helping make brownies and cookies and a pie for them to take home for later. The time went by relatively quickly. Alphys came back fairly quickly with anime in two large bags before joining the three of you in the kitchen. She had many questions to ask you about your being a hybrid.

“So do you have to go to the bathroom like a human?”

“Uh, only when I eat food that isn’t cooked magically. I don’t like using the bathroom. It feels weird.”

“What about your blood stream? Is it blood like that of a humans? Or magic? Do you bleed?”

“I bleed. But as for magic coursing through my veins… I don’t know now that I think about it,” you said thoughtfully.

“W-would you mind if I took a sample for later use? And maybe a sample of your magic?”

“The blood part is fine, but I don’t have any magic. Or, at least, not that I can access.”

“R-really? D-do you think t-that it has anyth-thing to do with y-your being h-half human?”

“Probably. Humans had lost touch with their ability to use magic long before I came along, so it’s highly probable.”

“We’re back, nerds!” Undyne declared. From the sounds of it, she kicked open the door. You flinched at the noise, but everyone else seemed too used to it.

“We’re in here,” Alphys called. Undyne and Mettaton walked into the kitchen holding a few snacks and what looked like no games. She later assured you that she had all she needed.

“I suppose that’s our cue to go,” Toriel said as she stood.

“You’re not going to stay and say hi to Sans and Papyrus?” you asked.

“There’s honestly no telling when that lazybones is going to show up,” she chuckled out. You all said your goodbyes, and Undyne and you began moving the sweets and pasta to the living room.

Sans and Papyrus showed up roughly fifteen minutes after Frisk and Toriel left.

“*hey, kiddo, long time, no see,” Sans greeted you. The skeleton that appeared behind him was taller than he with what appeared to be a crop top with the words “cool dude” scrawled on and a pair of cut off shorts and a backwards cap and sneakers. If he were anyone else, he never would have made it work, but… It was surprisingly fitting on him. “*Paps, meet my hybrid friend I told you about. She, like myself, has _sans-_ ational taste in puns.” If Papyrus disliked Sans’s taste in puns as much as Sans had previously mentioned, he didn’t show it in this moment.

“YOU ARE HALF HUMAN?!” Did Papyrus think something was wrong with that? He made his way over to you swiftly and picked you up in a bone-crushing hug. “THAT MAKES YOU UNIQUE! HOW LUCKY THAT NOT ONLY ARE YOU ONE OF A KIND BUT YOU HAVE A ONE OF A KIND FRIEND LIKE THE GREAT PAPYRUS. TRULY YOUR LIFE IS FULL OF WONDER.” You gasped and everyone just laughed at your impending doom.

“*don’t break my new pun-pal, bro.” Papyrus quickly held you out at arm’s length. You dangled there somewhat bewildered at being held like a small child and somewhat amused.

“AH, YES. SANS MENTIONED YOUR AFFINITY FOR PUNS. I CAN OVERLOOK THIS AS WE ARE FRIENDS, HOWEVER, I MAY NEVER UNDERSTAND WHY YOU WOULD LOWER YOURSELF TO MY BROTHER’S STANDARDS.”

“And if I didn’t stop make puns, would you say that,” you started, smile growing in size, “you’d have a _bone_ to pick with me?” Papyrus was silent and you could hear snickering coming from some people around the room (as well as a groan or two). Then Papyrus turned to Sans and plopped you in his arms.

“I, FOR THE SAKE OF OUR FRIENDSHIP, WILL PRETEND YOU DID NOT SAY THAT.” You and Sans snickered as you watched Papyrus retreat to the kitchen, probably to get his hands on some of the baked goods Toriel had made. Sans set you down gingerly on the floor.

“*that was a pretty good first impression, i’d say,” Sans chuckled.

“You’re pa-tell-aing me,” you joked.

“This better not be a regular thing. I was just starting to count you as a bestie,” Undyne warned.

“Okay. I’ll only tell puns when someone is around who I know will actually appreciate them,” you said, casting Sans a glance. Undyne narrowed her eyes at the two of you.

“Fair enough,” she shrugged, “Now let’s start this party!” She said, dumping a bag of anime on the coffee table.”

“Anime is hardly a party, darling,” Mettaton noted.

“You kidding? This is just the start! We’re gonna get hammered! You’re gonna wanna take pictures to remember this night for the rest of your lives!”

“A skelfie, if you will,” you muttered to Sans who muffled his snicker behind his hand.

“*take it with me. i don’t have any pics of you.”

“Uh, if you insist. I’m not all that photogenic.”

“*you don’t have many pictures of yourself?”

“No just what my mom forced me to take with her.”

“*well I’m not photogenic either, so we’ll just have to be un-photogenic together,” he said with a shrug. You pulled your phone out.

“Skelfie!” you declared, pulling him in to a one-armed hug. He gave a surprised smile to the camera, and you pressed the button. You inspected the picture. “Huh. This one isn’t so bad.” You sent it to Sans who looked at it. Aside from the surprised look on his face, you were right.

“W-what sh-should we watch f-first?” Alphys asked, calling your and Sans’s attention back to the “party.”

“Kill la Kill!” Undyne practically shouted, “Those chicks are badass!”

“I w-was thinking som-mething like T-Tokyo Mew M-mew? It’s c-cute.”

“Well, darlings, I think that if we’re going to get into the rather risqué and scandalous later, why not watch something along those lines?”

“________, what do you think?” Undyne questioned.

“Me? Well, um, I don’t really have any preferences. Uh, Fushigi Yuugi? If you have it, I mean.”

“S-Sans?”

“*i don’t gotta preference. whatever is fine with me.”

“I SAY WE WATCH SOMETHING METTATON RELATED.”

“Ooh! I second that! I have an exclusive collection of more _adult_ MMT films.” You had trouble thinking this robot which did not have genitalia was involved in some raunchy films. Unless he was built with it. You blushed at the thought, shaking your head rid of it.

“We are _not_ watching one of your films. It’s already enough that you’re _here_ isn’t it? Why would you even _need_ to watch yourself?!” Undyne said exasperatedly. You and Sans both take seats on the couch while they go back and forth about it.

It took another ten minutes for them to agree on what Undyne initially picked – which was badass enough for Undyne, exciting for Papyrus, anime-esque for Alphys, and fashion detailed for Mettaton. You and Sans were having more fun laughing at some of the ridiculous outfits, but you’d be lying if you said you didn’t have a soft spot for Senketsu.

Three episodes later and it was time to break out more snacks and a game while the episodes played in the background. Undyne placed a bottle between all of you as you all sat huddled around the coffee table.

“Alright, nerds, this game is truth, dare, or shots.” She pulled out some shot glasses and whiskey. "You either answer the question, take a dare, or take a shot. And fair warning, if you take too many shots, eventually you’ll spill your guts figuratively or literally. So be careful what you choose. Also Papyrus,” she pulled out some banapple juice, “you’ll be drinking this.”

“WHY CAN’T I, THE GREAT AND MARVELOUS PAPYRUS, DRINK WHAT YOU DO? DO YOU THINK I CANNOT HANDLE IT? YOU WILL BE GREATLY SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT I CAN HANDLE THAT AND SO MUCH MORE.”

“You can’t have alcohol,” Undyne said simply.

“BUT WHY NOT?” Papyrus pouted. You felt bad, and he was too sweet to not give some explanation as to why. You had a feeling it was because Sans didn’t approve. From what you’ve gathered, Papyrus was rather innocent in some terms. His soul gave off that aura too.

“You’re absolutely right, Papyrus.”

“O-OF COURSE I AM,” Papyrus declared triumphantly after his initial surprise wore off. Sans was shooting you a look mixed with confusion as well as a bit of anger.

“You can handle it. In fact, you handle it too well. There’s no point to giving you any because you wouldn’t feel the effects. So just take the juice, so you can save the alcohol for the rest of us.”

“ALAS, YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. IT WOULD MERELY BE WASTED ON ME. I’M SIMPLY TOO GREAT.” You smiled. He was precious.

“You sure are.” Sans’s what-the-fuck look to one of mild appreciation. Undyne spun the bottle, and it landed on you.

“So, punk, truth, dare, or shot?”

“Truth,” you answered. You were prepared to pick that anyway.

“Wuss,” Undyne muttered. Now it was her turn to pout. But then her pout morphed in a venomous grin. “Marry, fuck, or kill between Papyrus, Sans, and Mettaton.” You blushed. You hadn’t expected that. You assumed she’d ask about your love life or sexual history like most people typically did during games similar to this.

“Uh. I really don’t know. Marry Papyrus. Um.” You glanced between Mettaton and Sans. You weren’t really sure who’d you rather kill or have sex with. Undyne’s grin split wider if that were even possible. “Uh, sorry, but kill Mettaton, and, yeah, you know the rest.” You’d just picked the two at random, but Undyne cackled regardless at your decision. Mettaton was too amused to take offense at your decision to fuck a skeleton over him and merely chuckled that you couldn’t even utter the last part of your statement.

“Tryin’ to jump my _bones_ , kiddo?” Sans said, wiggling his brow bones. You blushed harder.

“Do you even have the tools to _bone_ me with?” Rather than answer you, Sans just chuckled at your pun. Next time you’d just take the shot.

“IF YOU’RE DONE WITH YOUR PUNS, PLEASE, SPIN THE BOTTLE,” Papyrus said, mild annoyance creeping in his voice.

Several other games ensued as well once Papyrus had gone to bed shortly afterward. You’d never heard of games where you were locked in a closet to do who knows what for seven minutes. You and Alphys just chuckled at each other and shuffled around awkwardly when the two of you were shoved inside. Then there were games that in each round you lost, you had to remove articles of clothing (Alphys and you ended that early after refusing remove more than jewelry and socks). Undyne was down to her sports bra and underwear. Sans only lost his jacket. Mettaton unscrewed a non-vital screw. There were games where you transferred food from one person’s mouth to the other. It wouldn’t have been _that_ awful if Mettaton hadn’t given you a flirty wink when the brownie was firmly between your lips. There were games where you had to eat off of each other’s bodies. Once again, you and Alphys felt awkward when nibbling popcorn off of Sans’s calf. He didn’t seem all that flustered, just bewildered at the oddness of the game.

By the end of the night you learned quite a bit about them. Undyne’s first kiss was with a boy, and she hated it so much that she swore off men. This was when she was seven, so it didn’t _really_ affect her preferences in the present, but it was fun to think about. Alphys had been in love with Undyne since the first moment she laid eyes on her. Papyrus has never had an embarrassing moment (he says) because he is so great and takes everything in stride. Mettaton once had a schoolboy crush on Asgore. Sans’s greatest achievement was when he chugged a two liter bottle of ketchup on a dare at Grillby’s.

They learned about you too. You hadn’t had any previous relationships though a few crushes here and there. You like spiders from the Underground, but spiders on the surface creep you out because they crawl around houses that aren’t theirs without permission and stare at you and don’t speak. They agreed with you on that. Spiders in the Underground were never so rude. You liked to sew in your spare time if you weren’t designing outfits.

Undyne was the only one completely drunk by that point. It was mainly because she drank regardless of whether or not she took her truth or dare or any other task in which games involved alcohol – like lapping it out of your belly button. You’d taken a shot or two, but your sobriety was worth more than a few secrets. You were just lucky everyone else had milder questions than Undyne. But there was a lot of fun. And a lot of laughs. For the first time in a long time, you were comfortable in a crowd (albeit a small one) and found yourself genuinely and constantly laughing. Your phone had about forty new pictures of you and your new friends. Sans even posed for a few, often opting to throw up a peace sign or wink. This was good. The house, even though it was not your own, felt full. _This is what home used to feel like_ , you absently thought as you smiled at fond memories that you made in the past and now.

~

The sliver of black in your soul writhed about in disgust. Never had it experienced this. This healing feeling. It had always been surrounded by love much like you were now, but never felt it seep within its own soul. It made your soul stronger, which was good for when it would be ready. But it would need to break into your moments of weakness – nightmares and sessions of depression. Places where it could sit and grow and thrive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you forget about the spirit I mentioned in the beginning? I wouldn't if I were you....

**Author's Note:**

> Good, yeah? I hope so. I hope you enjoy the story.


End file.
